The present invention relates generally to systems that include a battery powered device and more particularly to systems, software programs, signals, and methods estimating remaining battery life.
It seems that, like almost every device known to man, battery powered devices are subject to Murphy""s Law: which explains why the batteries in those devices tend to die without warning and at the most inopportune times. Having a device unexpectedly malfunction because of a weak battery can be very frustrating, especially if no replacement batteries are available. As anyone who has experienced the unexpected failure of a battery powered device will attest, it would be very helpful to have an advance indication of exactly when a battery was going to fail so that arrangements could be made to have replacement batteries on hand when needed.
There are methods currently available for measuring the remaining charge on a battery and notifying a user that the battery is low. A simple example is the battery light on an automobile""s instrument panel. When the car""s battery voltage drops below a certain level, a lamp is illuminated to let the driver know that there is a problem. Methods similar to the one just mentioned are sometimes adapted for use in portable battery powered devices.
The primary disadvantage of these methods, however, is that to some extent measuring the remaining charge consumes battery power. Similarly, notifying a user of the low battery condition, usually by illuminating a lamp or light emitting diode (LED), drains even more power from the battery. Add to increased battery drain the fact that status lamps are sometimes not easily seen by a user, and it should be apparent that current methods of measuring the remaining charge on a battery and notifying a user when the battery is low are inadequate, particularly when dealing with devices using smaller batteries, which are not capable of delivering large amounts of power.
Therefore, what is needed is a system, software signal, and method for estimating remaining battery life and clearly notifying a user of impending battery failure without draining additional power from the battery.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method, in a system including a host device and at least one remote battery powered device, comprising the actions of maintaining information relating to battery life, metering periods of remote device use, and estimating remaining battery life from the periods of use and the information relating to battery life.
In addition, the present invention provides a system including a host device and at least one remote battery powered device comprising at least one processor, memory operably associated with the processor, and a program of instructions configured to be executed by the processor and stored in the memory. The program of instructions includes instructions configured to maintain information relating to battery life, meter periods of remote device use, and estimate remaining battery life from the periods of use and the information relating to battery life.
The present invention also provides a computer readable medium tangibly embodying a series of instructions, for use in a system including a host device and at least one remote battery powered device, implementing maintaining information relating to battery life, metering periods of remote device use, and estimating remaining battery life from the periods of use and the information relating to battery life.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a signal embodied in a propagation medium, for use in a system including a host device and at least one remote battery powered device, comprising at least one instruction configured to maintain information relating to battery life, at least one instruction configured to meter periods of remote device use, and at least one instruction configured to estimate remaining battery life from the periods of use and the information relating to battery life.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of estimating the remaining battery life of a battery used in a remote device without consuming power from the remote device""s battery to do so.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of clearly notifying a user of an impending failure of a battery used in a remote device without consuming power from the remote device""s battery to do so.
An advantage of the present invention is that a remote device""s battery is not drained by the monitoring process.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a remote device""s battery is not drained by notifying a user of the battery""s status.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a clear indication of a battery""s status.
An additional advantage of the present invention is that the method can be implemented independently of a specific remote device.